2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP - Design of Experiments for Monitored Sustainable Wireless Farming

Presented at Instrumentation in Engineering Education for Field Environments

This Work-In-Progress Abstract describes work that began within the Senior Capstone Course in the Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) program where student Teams carry out exercises designed to train them in Research & Research methods. It represents the centerpiece of the ECE curriculum's professional development component and follows ABET assessment guidelines and outcomes. Without exception, all Applied projects must be team efforts. Teams must consist of between three (3) and five (5) members and the selection of a Team-Lead. It describes work carried out by undergraduates on Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and the Internet of Things (IoT) instrumentation technologies that integrate seamlessly with state-of-the-art applications. These offer real-time, automated data collection that enables precision for improved efficiency and sustainability. These technologies offer scalable solutions across various applications used in monitoring and automation. The outcomes and student feedback show how this project on system monitoring, control fundamentals and analysis impacted their engagement and success. Based on current study and market needs, WSN and IoT technologies address critical challenges in agriculture, including labor efficiency, water conservation, and crop health management. It also positions them as essential instrumentation and tools for sustainable gardening and farming. Hence, this project goal is to design, build, and test a sustainable food-production ecosystem that can be monitored. Aquaponics is a sustainable farming technique that combines aquaculture and hydroponics in a closed-loop system. Key sustainable solutions in this design include solar-powered systems and energy-efficient irrigation aimed at addressing energy and water management challenges. This WIP project introduces the design and implementation of smart monitoring and control systems using a Raspberry Pi 3B+ as the main processing unit. A sensor network monitors critical environmental conditions. The Raspberry Pi processes this data, displays it on an LCD screen, and activates components like the water pump based on real-time monitoring. Data is also logged for future analysis and can be accessed wirelessly for remote monitoring. Additionally, various sensors provide control over irrigation to optimize plant growth. This project offers a long-term data accumulation intention that draws on concepts like proximity sensors, circuit design, and embedded systems, and it incorporates essential components to monitor a biosystem such as temperature, moisture, water level, light, pH, and toxic compound. For sustainability, the system can be alternatively powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, a voltage regulator, and an on-board solar panel. The goal is a system with the potential for integrating renewable energy, IoT, and automation in sustainable food production. This paper also emphasizes the need for Engineering educators to prepare students for an innovative world that is becoming increasingly multidisciplinary in real time. This would offer the students the opportunities to fit into industries as they shift towards sustainable innovation and high-quality products development and instrumentation.

Authors

Dr. Cyril Okhio http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-8418-6110 Kennesaw State University [biography]

Cyril B. Okhio is a Faculty at the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering & Engineering Technology, Kennesaw State University and an Adjunct Professor at Clark Atlanta University’s Dual Degree Engineering Program. He earned his B.S. (Engineering) and Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) degrees from, and was an (Science and Engineering Research Council) SERC Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of London. He is registered as a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPE) with the Council of Registered Engineers, United Kingdom; a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, UK and a Member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, USA. Dr. Okhio has many years of administrative experience including Chairmanship of a Mechanical Engineering Department. Dr. Okhio understands that most engineering problems require multi-disciplinary solutions that embrace the new concepts of PLM approach so that the resulting solutions can be sustainable and all encompassing.
Dr. Okhio has carried out experimental and numerical investigations of, and developed statistical analysis tools and computer codes, for the calculation of complex fluid flows. Some of this work has been published in international journals. He is currently involved in multi-disciplinary research and development concerning Condition Monitoring of Engineered Systems; applications of Additive Manufacturing Tools to the study of Design for Manufacturability of Engineering Components and Systems; Vehicular Systems and Safety Engineering, associated with SPSU Visualization & Simulation Research Center for which he is a co-PI. Dr. Okhio is very familiar with the level of technology and development, world-wide. He has visited many countries including Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Senegal, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and he lived in the United Kingdom for more than 12 years. He is married with two children.
Dr. Theodore Orrin Grosch http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3880-2805 Kennesaw State University [biography]

Dr. Grosch earned his BSEE in 1982, MSEE in 1987, and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University in 1993. He have worked at Hughes Aircraft, General Electric, M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory two start-ups. Dr. Grosch has taught at Univ
Dr. Austin B. Asgill P.E. Kennesaw State University [biography]

Dr. Austin B. Asgill received his B.Eng.(hons) (E.E.) degree from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, his M.Sc. (E.E.) degree from the University of Aston in Birmingham, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Flor
Mackenzie E. Herndon Kennesaw State University [biography]

Mackenzie Herndon received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Kennesaw State University in 2025 and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Kennesaw State University. She also holds an Associate of Applied Science in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. She is currently employed as a Test Engineer at Georgia Power Company, where she supports engineering and system-level testing within power-related applications. Prior to this role, she completed a cooperative education experience with Georgia Power Company, gaining hands-on exposure to utility operations and engineering practices within the electric power industry. Her technical interests are focused on electric power systems and related applications. She has experience working with programming and engineering tools including MATLAB, C, and C++, as well as hardware platforms such as the Raspberry Pi for applied system development. Mackenzie Herndon is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). She plans to continue developing her expertise in the power industry while pursuing leadership opportunities, with the long-term goal of advancing into a management role within Georgia Power Company.
Ikorikwishaka David Kennesaw State University

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026

« View session